


Two Moons, Eight Plates

by Cypress (CalmWatersSubtleDance)



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Genre: Balmora, Character Establishment, Coming Out, Conversations, Conversations are the best parts of games dammit, Dunmer - Freeform, Elder Scrolls Lore, F/M, Friendship, Gender and Body Positivity, Intersex Nerevarine, Khajiit - Freeform, LGBTQ Themes, Modded Morrowind, Mostly one long conversation, Nerevarine uses She/Her pronouns, Non-Binary Nerevarine, Occurs Pre Main Quest, Other, Plotless, Redguard - Freeform, Ta'agra, Worldbuilding, bosmer - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 15:44:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10834323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalmWatersSubtleDance/pseuds/Cypress
Summary: After Ma’zurah and Julan are accidentally interrupted by Constance during an intimate moment, Ma’zurah finds her friends in the Eight Plates Cornerclub, and opens up to them about her intersexuality and the curse she was born with.A mostly plotless conversational exploration of character and lore. Takes place immediately after The Telepathy Ring.





	Two Moons, Eight Plates

**Author's Note:**

> Followup fic for The Telepathy Ring: http://archiveofourown.org/works/10553418
> 
> Mods directly referenced:  
> -Julan Ashlander Companion Mod by Kateri. http://lovkullen.net/Emma/Kateri.htm  
> -Constance Thief Companion by Grumpy and Emma. http://lovkullen.net/Emma/Constance.htm  
> -Jasmine by Jac. http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/43336/?  
> -White Senches by Kieve. http://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/10415/  
> -Hlaalu Council Quarters by Princess Stomper. http://mw.modhistory.com/download-87-7159

Balmora was a city of odd extremes. It contained both incredible wealth and shocking poverty; great diversity and vicious prejudice. Its polarity was magnified by its bisection by the wide, lazy Odai river, which itself was subdivided by a series of bridged lochs to control its flow and traffic. A visitor to the southern side of the Odai would likely describe it as anything between unimpressive and downright seedy, but northern Balmora--ah northern Balmora--that was the crowning glory of all of House Hlaalu territory.

But if northern Balmora was Hlaalu’s crown, then the manor district was its jewel. Lying roughly between the Temple, the market, and the farthest foothills of Red Mountain, it consisted of two concentric rings of buildings with architecture and decoration that screamed of wealth. The outermost ring hosted the most lavish and exclusive merchants of the city, and the innermost held the manors of the upper elite of Balmoran society. At the center lay a moderate sized open square. A wide set of stairs descended downhill from the southern end, leading to the main thoroughfare that connected the three northern districts to the causeways over the Odai. An imposing, ostentatious building dominated the northern edge of the square, and served as the official council hall for House Hlaalu, as well as host to a handful of modest apartments for its members.

It is from this building that a young Dunmer and Khajiit couple emerged after crossing the lobby from a rented room. They walked in companionable silence across the uncrowded square, hand in hand, still basking in the lingering glow of shared intimacy. 

The young Dunmer let his mind wander as he contemplating his striking Khajiit companion. Taller than most Khajiit in Morrowind, she was almost the same height as he. Her silky coat of short, white fur was tiger-striped with black, and her face and ears oddly merlike. She had pale cream colored hair cropped short at chin length, and a pair of mismatched red and blue crystals dangled from the ends of her tufted ears. She danced lightly next to him on decidedly un-merlike feet, which were wrapped in sturdy canvas, but otherwise bare.

He felt something lightly touch his calf and looked down to find his companion’s long tail brushing against his leg. He glanced up at her beside him curiously. “Why do you keep touching me with your tail so much?”

She flashed him a cheerful, sharp-toothed grin. “Awareness. It is how Khajiit keep track of the nearby people we have claimed! Even when not looking at them.”

He raised an amused eyebrow at her as she began bouncing down the stairway to the main thoroughfare, and he trailed a pace to her left. “Claimed, huh? What makes you think it’s not the other way around?”

“Why not both? Such is the way of the Khajiit. ‘Kaaka rabi, raba.’ What is mine is yours. Or ours, it doesn't translate well. It can also mean the other way around too...” She trailed off as he paused on the stairs, giving her a speculative look. “What?”

“Is that why you’re so generous all the time? You keep giving me money, and rarely ask to borrow any. I swear, I must have more money than the whole Ahemmusa tribe put together by now.” He gave her a peeved look, then continued in a somewhat lower voice, “I mean, you broke into the Telvanni vaults, and then proceeded to divide the loot between me, Jasmine, and Constance, and kept hardly any of it for yourself! You’re the most generous greedy person I've ever met!”

She met his gaze with amused eyes and held up both hands, palms facing upward in a helpless, nonchalant gesture. “What can Ma’zurah say? Julan has been helping, and it is not like Ma’zurah ever uses weapons or armor--she has her magick for that. She kept what she needed. Ma’zurah can play at Clan Mother if she feels like it. She certainly plans to keep all three of you.” She skipped ahead, turning back to poke her tongue out at Julan. “Besides, the only true thief is a selfish thief. Thzidariit vaba sarefithno dariit. Obviously Ma’zurah is no thief at all!” She winked at him.

“Uh-huh. So you justify your thievery by giving a lot of it away?” Julan raised a skeptical eyebrow at her. “No wonder you joined the Bal-Molagmer.”

“Something like that!” she laughed. “Just don't go spending all your money on alcohol. If Ma’zurah has to drag Julan’s drunk backside all the way home from South Wall again, she will not hesitate to steal the money right back!” She bared her teeth at him, half grinning, half threatening.

Julan raised his eyebrows at her. “Noted.”

They reached the bottom of the stairs and crossed the thoroughfare to the Eight Plates cornerclub. It was one of the nicer cornerclubs in Balmora, and boasted more rooms, a greater variety of food and drink, and--best of all--a friendly atmosphere for outlanders, all of which qualities were probably owed to its proximity to the Hlaalu council building.

Ma’zurah raced ahead and held open the door for Julan with a ridiculous flourishing bow. Julan snorted a laugh and walked inside. Grinning, she followed.

Turning the corner, they were met with the sight of Jasmine and Constance both seated at a table near the back wall of the crowded bar room. Constance, blonde, tanned, and grinning, was sitting perched on her toes in her seat, leather clad knees drawn up to her chest. Jasmine, the epitome of strong, serene Redguard beauty, sat in a more dignified posture, several sheets of ink-stained parchment spread in front of her, alongside a corked inkpot and a quill. Her long dark hair was pulled back from her face in a tail at the top of her head. Catching sight of the approaching pair making their way through the dinnertime crowd, she stood, gave Julan a slight smile, and greeted Ma’zurah with a hug.

“You’ll never believe the nonsense Constance has been trying to feed me about you.” She drew back, placing her hands on Ma’zurah’s shoulders, and glanced back at Constance with exasperated amusement. Constance waved back at them, unperturbed.

The tip of Ma’zurah’s tail twitched in a subtle expression of nervousness that was lost on all but Julan standing behind her. 

“What did Constance say? Ma’zurah suspects it may not be too far from the truth.” Ma’zurah’s voice was calm, and she glanced between her two female companions with an evaluating look.

Constance grinned wider. Jasmine looked back at Ma’zurah, startled. “Uh…” She pulled out two chairs for the newcomers, and sat back down, clearing away her writing materials with eyebrows raised. “She was telling me that she accidentally walked in on you two, uh… together, and that you have, er… the same parts as a man.” she addressed Ma’zurah.

Julan and Ma’zurah seated themselves. The tips of Julan’s ears were faintly purple under his usual ash grey, and he pretended to study something on the ceiling rather than risk meeting the others’ eyes. Ma’zurah appeared to be unaffected, meeting their gazes steadily.

“Well, Constance got it half right. Ma’zurah is double-sexed--” a bar attendant walked over and Ma’zurah cut herself off in favor of putting in a request for guar steak and steamed corkbulb in commberry syrup--the sweetest item on the menu.

When the others had also put in their requests and the attendant moved out of earshot, Jasmine turned back to Ma’zurah with a thoughtful expression. “Do you want us to change how we address you? It sounds like you could be either a man or a woman if you wanted.”

Julan and Constance both looked at Ma’zurah with interest. Ma’zurah looked surprised, and a small smile blossomed on her face for the first time since entering the cornerclub. “Ma’zurah never really thought about it before. Ma’zurah thinks that maybe she is both? Or neither. Something else--not male or female. But Ma’zurah doesn't have a problem with how she is addressed. In Elsweyr, they used a special pronoun for Ma’zurah that had no gender connotations, but as far as Ma’zurah knows, Cyrodiilic has no such pronoun. Ma'zurah just went with what everybody called her. She does not actually care. She thanks Jasmine for asking though.” Ma’zurah’s usual energetic smile was back in place, and she caught Julan’s hand under the table. He smiled back at her. 

“Okay! But the really important thing is that you two decided to start banging and didn't tell us!” Constance burst out. 

“Really now Constance!” Jasmine gave her a look of censure.

Constance ignored Jasmine and leaned toward Ma’zurah, a massive grin on her face. “C’mon Ma’zurah, we’re best friends right? You gotta tell me! Is he any good?” She lowered her voice slightly. “Does he give good head?”

“I’m right here!” Julan squawked, his entire face tinged faintly purple now. Jasmine lowered her face into both palms.

Ma’zurah threw back her head and laughed long and loud. A Dunmer at a nearby table glared at her, but Ma’zurah was laughing too hard to notice. When she managed to contain her laughter, she looked at Julan, still grinning uncontrollably, and gave him a short nod, answering both of Constance's questions at once. Julan’s blush got brighter, but he looked pleased. 

Constance squealed. “You guys are so cute!” She stamped her feet on the floor gleefully.

Jasmine gave the ceiling a longsuffering look. “Well, I'm glad you’re happy. Unlike Constance though, I’d rather not hear the details.” The corners of her mouth twitched slightly.

The bar attendant appeared with four plates of steaming food, causing conversation to cease for the next few minutes.

Constance was the first to speak. “Hey Ma’zurah, you remember when we first met and you were trying to explain why that one Khajiit guy was a jerk to you, and you mentioned you were moon cursed or something?”

Julan looked concerned. “You’ve been cursed? We can try asking my mother if she can help if you like...”

Ma’zurah shook her head. “It’s not that kind of curse.” She turned to Constance. “Ma’zurah remembers. Why does Constance ask about the moon curse?”

“This curse... You don’t mean the double-sexed thing, do you?”

Ma’zurah raised a whiskered eyebrow at Constance. “Of course not. That is just something that happens sometimes. The moon curse is because Ma’zurah was not born the right kind of Khajiit. The Khajiit of Elsweyr do not like her because she does not fit into the ja-Kha’jay--er, the lunar lattice. According to Jone and Jode, Ma’zurah should have been born Alfiq.”

“Al-feek?” Julan interjected.

“Er… they are small, walk on four legs, and everybody who is not Khajiit thinks they are housecats. They do not leave Elsweyr very often. They make the most powerful mages though. Ma’zurah is lucky to have inherited their talent.” She grinned widely and sent a puff of frost and snowflakes into the air with one upturned hand. “Instead, Ma’zurah looks like all moon cursed no matter when they are born--like a tall Suthay-raht with a face like the Ohmes-raht. And white fur. They never let Ma’zurah forget the white fur.” She shrugged.

“Well I think you’re beautiful.” Julan took her hand and pressed his lips to the inside of her wrist where the pulse beat closest to the surface. She gave a low purr that he would have missed amongst the noise of the cornerclub had he not been listening for it. 

“Aww!” Constance grinned at the two of them. 

Jasmine still looked concerned. “And other Khajiit don't like you because of that?”

“Well, usually only the ones from Elsweyr care so much, because they are the most traditional. They do not want the moon cursed to bear kittens and pass the moon curse on. But Ma’zurah has met quite a few who are friendly to the moon cursed on Vvardenfell. But Ma’zurah grew up in the jungles of the Tenmar forest, and misses her home.” She hesitated, her smile fading momentarily. “Ma’zurah was… exiled from Elsweyr when she came of age. She does not really like to talk of it. Her clan could tolerate a helpless child with no one else to care for her, but a moon cursed adult, even a double-sexed one unable to birth litters had no place in the clan.” Her whiskers drooped.

Julan squeezed her hand with a sympathetic look. “So you're also an outcast… We can be outcasts together then.”

Constance shifted uncomfortably. “Gods, this is getting depressing! I say we get some drinks and plan our next move!” 

Ma’zurah brightened immediately. “Ma’zurah has a job with the Mages Guild in Suran, but she also heard some very interesting rumors about that place! And heard they have a market with imported goods and clothing!” She gave Constance a conspiratorial grin.

“Oh boy…” Jasmine muttered.

Constance squealed and clapped excitedly. “Shopping?! Ma’zurah you’re the best!” Half standing from her seat, she threw her arms around Ma’zurah’s neck.

Julan groaned and smacked his head down onto the table beside his empty plate. “Oh Azura… Here we go again…”

**Author's Note:**

> Ta’agra Transliterations:  
> Kaaka rabi, raba = what I have, you/we have.  
> Thzidariit vaba sarefithno dariit = (a) real-thief is (a) self-rewarding/gifting thief. (I couldn't find a word for selfish.)  
> Ja-Kha’jay = lunar lattice; the combination of the moons’ phases which determine a Khajiit’s “breed” at birth.  
> Jone and Jode = Masser and Secunda, the twin moons.  
> Ta’agra Resource: http://www.taagra.com
> 
> Here’s some interesting insight into Ma’zurah’s character: She is totally deluding herself about not being selfish. She just considers her companions to be “hers” so giving them things is just rearranging resources. Her tendency to consider people “hers” is the result of an odd combination of her almost communist Elsweyr upbringing, and the fact that I'm taking the prophecy “Dragon-born and far star marked” quite literally (not that it’ll be relevant for the next two hundred-ish years.) But she does have a dragon’s greed and “will to power” as Paarthurnax put it. (Yay! I get to have fun with Nietzschean philosophy!) No idea if I'll ever end up actually writing the Skyrim part of her story though, so her personality is the only thing it’s relevant to right now. Now to figure out how to actually write an energetic, chipper, and greedy sincere believer in communism, with a strong “will to power.” Hoo boy...
> 
> I’ve only recently started writing, so constructive criticism is welcome.
> 
> Characterization and lore for Ma'zurah significantly inspired by the White Senches race mod. The moon curse is not actually a thing in vanilla Elder Scrolls.
> 
> If you want more information on intersexuality, ask and I’ll gladly provide resource links.


End file.
